More letters about Toondah Harbour

Concerns about Walker Group’s Toondah Harbour proposal including traffic jams, environmental impacts and the secrecy of arrangements with Redland City Council are discussed in letters published by Redlands2030.

Have your say by emailing your letter to theeditor@redlands2030.net

The world is watching Toondah

I totally and strongly oppose Walker Group’s inappropriate and environmentally destructive proposal for Toondah Harbour.

Protecting shorebird habitat and Ramsar Wetlands is vital for the survival of sea life, migratory birds and ultimately, human life.

By definition, Ramsar wetlands are those that are representative, rare or unique wetlands, or are important for conserving biological diversity. The Moreton Bay Toondah Harbour Ramsar site meets all of the nine criteria to achieve this listing. The site includes one of the most extensive intertidal areas of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh communities on the eastern coast of Australia, and is valuable for supporting fisheries resources, waterbirds and marine megafauna of conservation significance.

The site regularly supports more than 50,000 waterbirds, representing at least 43 species of shorebirds and at least 28 migratory shorebird species.

Eastern Curlew feeding habitat cannot be replaced or offset. The destruction of any of their feeding habitat will result in a net loss of habitat for the species and is thus a significant impact.  Koalas and Eastern Curlew once gone are gone forever!

The Toondah Harbour proposal does not fit the definition of “wise use” of Ramsar wetlands. The destruction of internationally important wetlands and shorebird habitat for a private apartment complex and marina is incongruous with the objectives of the Ramsar Convention.

Australia has the highest rate of wildlife extinctions in the world. This must stop now.

We tourists from overseas will never come to visit the Ramsar site and Toondah Harbour if this devastating  development goes on! We come to visit Ramsar sites for the unique wildlife, birds and  beauty environment!

This unique environment site is worth much more than 3600 apartments!

Please STOP this totally inappropriate and devastating development and show Australia that Environmental Protection is important. The world is watching.

P.T.
Italy

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Dear Minister, please visit Toondah

I rang Tanya Plibersek’s Ministerial and Electorate offices to share my concerns and ask if she had been to Toondah and Minjerribah for a visit with the community and to see what we were banging on about.

The Ministerial office suggested that I send her an invite which they would then check with her diary and determine if she would have space to fly up before the EIS consultation period is complete. Her team also said that they had received a lot of calls and letters about Toondah and were very aware of the situation.

So, I wrote a few quick words to invite her to Redlands. I also shared this intent with a bunch of other people asking them to write to the Minister – surely lots of noise will get her on the plane before December – right?

I know at least one person took up that challenge and hopefully, many more will also.

I want to say how grateful I am to Redlands 2030, Birdlife Australia, ACF, Jerry Colby-Williams, Penny Allman-Payne and everyone in the community who has kept caring about this beautiful coastal area. I know the behind-the-scenes effort involves a lot of time and energy – so a big big thank you to the team who has tirelessly been holding space and leading the challenge for almost ten years. 

May Toondah and Minjerribah stay simply beautiful!!!!!

My letter to Minister Plibersek reads

“Dear Minister Plibersek

I am writing to you to invite you to meet with the Redlands and Minjerribah community and to visit Toondah Harbour and North Stradbroke Island.

We have been trying for almost ten years to stop the proposed development on this beautiful Ramsar-protected wetland site that is the gateway to Minjerribah but also shields the coastal community of Cleveland and surrounding suburbs. 

Anyone who visits this area is taken aback by the beauty and simplicity. I personally for many years, have kayaked and studied the mangroves and seagrasses along the stretches of the coastline and islands including Cassim Island (that will be removed should this proposed development be allowed).

I know also that many people from the mainland and the islands have deep and intimate connections with this coastal stretch. I also hear from many friends, who live outside the area but come to Minjerribah to visit, how stunned they are at the flora, fauna and beauty of this area.

We, therefore, warmly invite you to come and see for yourself in November 2022, what it is that has us so concerned.

I appreciate your schedule will be busy, it’s been a crazy year, but I do know that the community will definitely be appreciative that you made the effort to take a look around and to listen to them before the EIS consultation period is complete. 

So please, won’t you make time in November 2022 to come visit us?”

Many thanks

B.E.
Byron Bay

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Toondah Harbour traffic jams coming

The Toondah Harbour proposal  for 3,600 units has always been an appalling  idea, for the many reasons which always come to the surface, but this week I have been struck by an idea I hadn’t thought of before. Equally as concerning.

I read an article about Donnybrook in Victoria, where a massive lot of construction has gone on, and in one housing estate because it is so large , it takes 20 minutes to queue to get out of the housing estate alone. One woman was saying it takes her 45 minutes drive for a  3km journey to the primary school to drop off her daughter.

The reason is the infrastructure and sheer volume of residents has destroyed the  area. These people are now regretting the whole development and wishing it had never been built or that they had been conned in to buying it.

Is that what we want to see at Cleveland?   I certainly don’t. We must stop this now, before Cleveland becomes a second Donnybrook.

J.F.
Kenmore  

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Secret Toondah Harbour deal is concerning

Transparency of Government Decision making is of vital importance in a democracy.

In the current situation where Redland City Council and a developer have made secret arrangements over the Toondah Harbour proposal, the intentional use of ‘Commercial in Confidence’ is denying Redlands residents of knowing what has been agreed to. 

In a recent ABC News report about the ‘Sports Rorts’ affair, the full disclosure of the previous investigation into what actually happened has now been revealed under Freedom of Information.

The Head of the then PM’s Department found Bridget McKenzie had breached ministerial standards in her oversight of a grants program.

Quoting in part from this article, it highlights that:

At the time, the government refused to release Mr Gaetjens’ full report, insisting it was a cabinet (in Confidence), document. 

Following a Freedom of Information request from the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the full report has now been released.

Tellingly, the original investigation report (Written by Mr Gaetjens’) says in part:

……. he criticised the lack of transparency in the program.

“This lack of transparency, ………., has given rise to concerns about the decision-making,” he wrote.

A lack of transparency in public decision-making? Now, why does that sound familiar?

‘Transparency of decision making’ is a fundamental pillar of our democratic way of life.

Any departure from this essential pillar of democratic government must be viewed with concern. If there is nothing to hide, why hide it?

P.O.
Cleveland

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More Toondah letters

Your say about the Toondah Harbour Draft EIS

Unwise or clearly unacceptable?

Redlands2030 – 20 November 2022